


Chicanery

by poprockshawty



Series: Undercover Lover [1]
Category: C-Pop, EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Banter, Cooking Lessons, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 13:19:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18779083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poprockshawty/pseuds/poprockshawty
Summary: When Junmyeon kisses Yifan for the wrong reasons, they are compelled to deal with feelings that they thought they already got over. Could they be good for each other?





	Chicanery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Changdeol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Changdeol/gifts).



> A self-prompt fic for Suhoney Fic Fest 2019 Round 4.

The familiar stench of alcohol and weed brought Junmyeon right back to his university days. Those were the days, hands-down the most colorful phase of his life, and he would love to relive the good old days with his pals. That was why he was currently at the 4-year reunion party with his hallmates, eager to reconnect with them, especially those that he had not had the chance to hang out with since their semester together at New Centenary Residence.

“Hey! You made it!”

Once Junmyeon entered the room he was immediately greeted by one of his closest friends, Jongdae. Junmyeon beamed widely and the two hugged.

“Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world! I'm so happy to be here,” said Jun blithely. “We have got to catch up. I heard you've found yourself a new…’special friend’?”

Jongdae chortled. “Yeah, that's a really complicated and long story. I'll explain it to you at some point, but first, drinks. We are getting wasted tonight and we are going to be unhealthy, irresponsible kids!”

“Sounds like a bad idea. Count me in,” Jun replied right away, heading to the bar with Jongdae.

“So, you're doing your Master’s now?” Asked Dae with a drink in hand.

“Yeah. International Relations.”

“And that's the path you've always wanted, right? Gah, I remember how determined you always were, and you were always so sure about what you wanted and how exactly you're gonna get it.”

“I knew all along I wanted to study Political Science. I've known it since I was 14,” Junmyeon answered.

“Man, that is such a long time ago. When I was 14 I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I mean, even now, I still have no idea. But I'm just doing whatever makes me happy and that's good enough for me,” Jongdae shrugged.

“Yeah, I see you've been traveling a lot. Where's your next destination?”

“Oh yeah. Crisscross the world, searching for fun, partake of the local attractions...you know what I mean,” Jongdae winked. “I'm gonna fly to Guangzhou next week. Can't wait.”

“Guangzhou? Isn't that where—”

“Speak of the devil— Wu Yifan! Hey! You're fashionably late,” said Jongdae enthusiastically.

Junmyeon turned around in surprise and found the tallest man in the room walking in their direction. Yifan had the audacity to show up in a lazy hoodie and sweats but still made it look like he was wearing expensive designer clothes. Even back in uni, this man was known for his unforgettable duality. At times he looked homeless, but the next day he could be dressed as if he were ready to walk the runway. Tonight he had his limited edition sneakers on, obviously something that he got through his wealthy parents.

As if the way he walked was not mesmerizing enough, laxly he removed his sunglasses, and then broke into a grin — the iconic gummy smile that marked his transition from cold city guy to cutie pie.

Junmyeon’s heart skipped a beat. Now that he came to think of it, it had been 3 years since he last saw Yifan, and almost 4 years since he developed a crush on the Chinese man. Junmyeon had never thought of it as anything more than a crush, really. It lasted a few months and then his feelings faded and he got over Yifan. And after that, he grew to like another. Even dated someone else for almost 2 years, although that relationship eventually had to end too.

“H-hi,” Junmyeon squeaked. "It's great to see you again." He was unexpectedly nervous, but no less genuine.

"Hello," said Yifan merrily. "It's been a while, huh? It's really nice to see you guys again. How have y'all been?"

"Oh man, I've been busy, but it's all good," Junmyeon replied. "Jongdae on the other hand..."

"I know what you're trying to say," Jongdae whined. "Don't even say it. I just have a lot of luck when I ask out the people I like. What can I say..."

"Well, you've got to teach me your ways at some point because I can't relate," Yifan guffawed.

Jongdae huffed. "Your standards are way up there, Wu. That's why you've been single since the dawn of time."

Junmyeon almost spat out his drink. "That can't be possible. How the hell are  _you_  single?"

Yifan went red in the face and glowered at Junmyeon. "What's  _your_  excuse then?"

"How do you know  _I'm_  single?"

Yifan shrugged. "Just guessed. Should I be happy I'm right?"

"You can be happy for me when I find love again," said Junmyeon. Inwardly he was hating himself because everything that came out from his mouth sounded wrong ever since Yifan walked into the room and back into his life.

"Of course," replied Yifan lamely. "I'm sure you will. I hope you do. Soon."

"Yeah...thanks."

"No problem."

"You too, man, you too."

"Yup."

Awkwardness ensued in this prolonged moment of silence. Both of them were too focused on each other to take notice that Jongdae had already silently backed out of the dialogue, and had gone to get more drinks as well as chat with his other friends. Unbeknownst to both of them, perhaps Jongdae had meant to give the two of them some time to be with each other and no one else. Dae knew a thing or two about Yifan's feelings, after all, and now that Junmyeon was single again...Jongdae did not mind being a matchmaker of sorts.

"So! Uh, are you working or, um, studying now?" Junmyeon blurted after taking a deep breath. He thought deep breaths would help calm him down, but he was wrong. Yifan just always seemed to take his breath away.

"Oh, no, I just can't with books and essays anymore. That is not what I wanna do with my life. I'm kind of working for my parents right now — they run this jewelry business. And I'm actually trying to launch my own subsidiary jewelry line."

"Oh, that sounds pretty cool! I hope it all works out for you," he said, still breathless, still tense. "I'm still studying. My life is really just about books and essays. Got it from my parents too. Boring, I know."

"You're not boring," Yifan asserted.

"No?"

"No, I don't think you're boring. Don't worry," he added with a grin. "Hey, is that —" he pointed in the direction of the entrance. "That the deer boy you guys keep gossiping about? The one who's apparently dated the daughter of the richest man in town?"

Junmyeon whirled and saw that all eyes were on Luhan, the talk of the town. Rumor had it that he used to date this socialite who was famous for all the wrong reasons. But whenever Junmyeon looked at or thought about Luhan, it was not the dating scandal that came to mind but rather, his own history with that man. Just one look at him was enough to bring Junmyeon right back to one of his most embarrassing moments in history.

It was freshman year, and Junmyeon was unsurprisingly a stupid kid who made stupid decisions, such as stupidly developing a stupid crush on Luhan. An even stupider decision was actually confessing his stupid feelings — Junmyeon was disappointed but not surprised to get rejected. Still, that had impacts on his ego and self-esteem, and till this day really affected his willingness to make his romantic feelings known, even when the object of his affections was no longer Luhan. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Yifan asked urgently once he noticed that Junmyeon's hand was trembling.

Junmyeon laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied with a squeaky voice. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Man, you're shaking," Yifan pointed out. Decisively he took the empty glass from Junmyeon's hand, really concerned that it would fall. It was not his intent for his palm to touch the back of Junmyeon's hand, but of course that was what happened. Junmyeon was freaking out altogether and felt like screaming, but instead just chuckled as he thought to himself that he had already looked stupid once in front of Luhan. This time, he could not look stupid again and he had to redeem himself. He had to look cool, cooler than his old self and cooler than Luhan.

"No I'm not," Junmyeon insisted, licking his lips as he looked up at Yifan.

"Yes you are." Yifan sounded completely serious, and had one eyebrow arched as he eyed the shorter boy skeptically. "Don't tell me you're already drunk."

Jun snorted. "Do I look drunk to you?"

"Nah, you look fine," Yifan replied, pun intended. "I'm gonna go get something to drink. You want anything?"

"Yo, don't leave me here on my own," Junmyeon gushed as if his nerves were on fire. He noticed that Luhan and some others were approaching their general direction and that was enough for him to panic.

Yifan folded his arms. "Are you gonna start breakdancing if left unsupervised?"

"You don't wanna know."

Pursing his lips, Yifan grabbed Junmyeon by the forearm and dragged him to the bar. Jun tried to protest, but his voice got drowned out by the music that was getting louder now. There were faces that Junmyeon could recognize, but their names just could not be recalled. He protested again when he realized that this was not at all going well for him, considering  _Luhan_  was also getting closer. Jun was not sure if Luhan actually  _saw_  him. Maybe the deer boy would not even recognize him. After all, nobody was surprised to recall that Luhan had never had a shortage of admirers, so probably in his eyes Junmyeon was never attractive enough to leave an impression.

At the bar, Junmyeon decided to have whatever Yifan was having, and regrettably his thoughts were more on Luhan now than on the taller boy. The more nervous he got, the more desperately he clung to the drink in his hand, unaware of how quickly he was downing all of it. The rushed alcohol intake was making his heart race, although it was not as if the two Chinese men in the room that he was most attracted to had not had the same effect on his poor heart. He could hardly stay sane, and the only thought he could focus on right now was the urgent need to prove to Luhan that the stupid, spluttering freshman who once confessed to him had already upgraded from him to the breathtakingly gorgeous Wu Yifan. Take  _that_!

Once Junmyeon had made sure that the proximity between him and Luhan, despite everybody else in the vicinity, had made it impossible for Luhan to not acknowledge his presence, he decided to put his plan into action.

Just like he did with everybody else, Luhan gave Junmyeon a friendly smile from a distance and waved. Junmyeon did not wave back but he did return the smile. Actually, it was more like a smirk, and he was getting excited about what he was going to do.

"I've been meaning to tell you," he said, turning to Yifan who was evidently much more relaxed and actually enjoying the beverage. "The reason why I was surprised that you're single, just now, is because I just reckon you're too handsome to not be taken."

Junmyeon could not believe he just said that. Nor could Yifan, but he just raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" Yifan uttered, but not unappreciative of the compliment. "That came out of nowhere."

"It came from my honest opinion. Since I have exquisite taste in men," Junmyeon stated, suddenly confident. Was the alcohol to blame for that?

Yifan was surprised, but amused too, and frankly Junmyeon was getting him in the mood to be daring and to shoot quick remarks. "Bold of you to assert that. Got proof?"

"Well then, I  _hypothesize_  that I have exquisite taste in men," said Junmyeon playfully, placing his finished drink back onto the counter. "And I don't really feel like being wrong tonight. Although you'll probably disagree with me on whoever I deem attractive since, in Dae's own words, 'your standards are way up there, Wu'."

"Funny you should say that." Yifan could not help but laugh at the irony of the whole situation that only he knew. "If only you knew the reason behind it."

"All I know is that your standards weren't always that high, or high at all."

Yifan arched an eyebrow, although not at all offended. "Know a lot about me, don't you?"

"I know enough. Back in freshman year you were always hooking up with random coursemates, or whatever. I ain't judging; I just find it weird that you consistently opted for mediocrity, but now you're completely different? What’s changed?"

"Nothing's changed, Jun," he insisted solemnly. "My preferences haven't changed, nor has your obliviousness to all of it. You know nothing, Kim Junmyeon."

"I wish there were textbooks about you so I could learn all about you and what goes on in your mind. But it doesn't work that way, does it. So why don't you show me instead," Junmyeon suggested.

"But why do you want to know? Why do you care?"

"What, I'm not allowed to be curious about a hot guy?"

"You—"

"Especially since he's not taken," he winked. "And it seems the more I look at him, the more attractive he is." Junmyeon even leaned in, as if for emphasis and for a closer inspection of just how good-looking Yifan was.

"Why...are you looking at me like that..."

"Because," he answered cheekily, deliberately slowing down to prolong the suspense for Yifan. Now that the Korean man seemed to have the upper hand in their conversation, he believed he had found the perfect opportunity to lure Yifan into his trap. The timing was impeccable, especially since Luhan was still nearby and got quite an unhindered view of the interactions between Junmyeon and Yifan even though he was not close enough to hear their exchanges. "Your lips are looking so kissable right now." And then, after a chuckle, he added, "at least, I hypothesize."

"A-and what are  _you_  gonna do about that?"

"I'm gonna prove myself right, of course," Junmyeon announced. Instead of standing on his toes to try to align himself with Yifan's ridiculous height, with one hand he pulled the taller man all the way down to his level. Everything seemed to happen so quickly, and somehow Yifan himself was also surprised that with his one brain cell he was able to swiftly figure out what Junmyeon wanted to do. Yifan's reflexes were not slow — slow reflexes did not make him the skilled basketball player that he was. Junmyeon paused for a moment although their lips were inches apart, but even without that pause Yifan would know that he would have enough time to push the shorter boy away, if that was what he desired. But that was  _not_  what he desired. Distance between himself and Junmyeon was the last thing he wanted. And in that moment Yifan was not thinking of his past with Junmyeon and all the feelings that he had kept to himself. He was thinking of the present, right this instant, and how absolutely irresistible Junmyeon was, just like he had always been.

"Kiss me, you clueless fool," Yifan urged impatiently. Amused by his reactions to being teased, Junmyeon obliged and did what he had been meaning to do anyway. Not just to prove his theory to be true, of course, but to actually kiss Yifan. That had been his desire since freshman year, and he could not believe it took him 4 damn years to make it happen. But at least it was happening at all and Junmyeon had no complaints. And damn, he was so right. Yifan's lips were kissable  _and_  boy was a good kisser. They were more hooked on each other and on the elation of getting to share this lip-lock than the alcohol they could taste on each other's lips.

Ironically, given Junmyeon's original intention behind his efforts to set this up, the whole time that they kissed he was thinking about Yifan and Yifan only. Not some other boy he felt the need to impress as if to compensate for the embarrassment he had suffered when he got rejected all these years ago. Junmyeon actually did not even care if Luhan was still around to witness it all. The Korean boy was no longer concerned with trying to change other people's perceptions of him. He wanted the kiss because of Yifan, enjoyed the kiss because of Yifan, and only truly cared about Yifan. So when they pulled apart, Junmyeon instantly became sober and it was like a wake-up call that made him realize who was really worth it and who was not.

Flustered, Yifan continued to stare at Junmyeon. Many thoughts crossed his mind, but none he dared say to Junmyeon. Especially not how he wished that what happened just now could have and should have happened a long time ago. Too bad he was just always under the impression that Jun was way out of his league, so throughout their time at New Centenary Residence, he did not even try to make his feelings known to Junmyeon. That was why Yifan kept emphasizing that Junmyeon was ignorant of a  _lot_  of things. And as Yifan believed himself to also be mediocre, he just settled for mediocrity and the weak satisfaction derived from random flings here and there. But even after all these years his feelings for Jun had not faded. Even till now, he had not been in a proper relationship, because whenever a potential partner came along, the first thing he did was compare them to Jun. Then all that he could see in them was how they fell short of his standards, which as Jongdae described had only been sky high since he met Jun.

"Now I have all the proof I need," said Junmyeon mischievously under his breath. His beam had Yifan mesmerized and still unable to say a word.

"Ya! Junmyeon! Junmyeon-ah!" A powerful voice pierced through the loud music and demanded Junmyeon's attention. Once he turned around he saw two of his old friends, Minseok and Jongin. "We have to recreate the iconic Kim line selfie! Come on, they're all waiting by the booth."

"I'll be right back!" said Junmyeon hastily to Yifan, who had immediately raised the glass to his mouth in an attempt to cover up how flustered he was. He wished he could make Junmyeon stay, but the other Kim boys were adamant and had dragged him to the other side of the room.

A hour later, Junmyeon had still not returned, evidently busy catching up with a lot of other people. Yifan was also sufficiently occupied though, as he reunited with some of his old friends who had challenged him to do something involving shots. By the end of the night, he was quite tipsy, and he figured he had better go home before he either passed out or had to throw up. He knew it was a bad idea to drink like this, but damn, maybe he had not been in his right mind ever since Junmyeon kissed him.

* * *

Yifan found, the next morning when he woke up, that he had fallen asleep as soon as he got back to his condo, and still had his coat in hand the whole time. Feeling gross, groggily he went to the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth. Patting his empty stomach, he grabbed some pills for his hangover and then put on some clean clothes. He was still not fully awake, and the only decision he had to make right now was if he ought to eat or to continue sleeping. However when he once again glanced at the coat on his bed, his eyes popped wide open.

That was not his coat.

It looked a few sizes smaller and definitely could not fit on someone of his stature. His jaw dropped and after a moment of shock, he grabbed it and checked the pockets and everywhere else, desperately hoping for some identification that could point him to its rightful owner, but nothing.

Gulping, he reached for his phone and clumsily gave Jongdae a call.

“Hey, Wu!” said Dae cheerfully. “You wanna come join me and Zitao for brunch?”

“Uh, sure,” Yifan answered blankly, and then tried to explain his recent discovery to Jongdae, who cackled.

Zitao’s voice could be heard in the background, saying something to Jongdae that sounded like, “I told you he doesn’t use his head…”

When Jongdae had finally recomposed himself, he replied, “I think I know who that coat belongs to. He’s also holding  _your_  coat hostage, so if you want it back, you’ll have to go begging.”

Yifan groaned and shut his eyes. “This is embarrassing. Whose is it?”

“Come to brunch with us,” said Dae blithely. “Then you’ll find out.”

* * *

Glumly but not reluctantly, Yifan showed up to brunch at Dae’s place, sat his ass down, and ate. Jongdae asked him stuff about Guangzhou, and he answered with enough enthusiasm. Zitao then talked about his ankle injury, and Yifan responded with sufficient sympathy. He looked so out of it the whole time though, and he felt bad about it too. But he was just so selfishly absorbed in his own thoughts about not just the mysterious owner of the coat but also the kiss that he had shared with Junmyeon last night. Absentmindedly, Yifan’s fingertips went to his lips, nudging and touching them tantalizingly but he barely looked aware of what he was doing as he just kept reliving the moment in his mind.

It was when Zitao clicked his fingers and waved in Yifan’s face that the tallest boy finally snapped to attention and uttered a gloomy apology. It was evident that Zitao was about to whine, but was stopped when the doorbell rang — and in walked Kim Junmyeon.

Yifan almost choked on his omelette.

* * *

When Yifan offered to do the dishes afterward, Junmyeon hardly had the intention to help out, but he joined the taller boy in the kitchen anyway, certainly with the mind to tease him endlessly.

“Don’t say a word,” Yifan warned, able to tell from just one look at Junmyeon’s impish facial expression what the shorter boy was up to.

“You were really that drunk last night, huh,” Junmyeon commented mischievously.

Yifan sighed. “I swear you have a kink for making me flustered and awkward.”

“That’s not on me; you are just naturally like that.”

“No I am not.”

“Yes you definitely are. Effortlessly too. You ain’t even gotta try.”

Yifan merely pouted, but that made Junmyeon melt like the slab of butter on sizzling hot pancakes. Seeing as nobody else was in the kitchen, as Jongdae and Zitao could be heard bantering outside, Junmyeon made the decision to sneak his arms around Yifan’s waist.

Yifan froze and the fork slid out of his hands, causing a small splash but he did not even flinch. The water kept running and he was still wondering how he was supposed to respond. He was taken aback not just because of Junmyeon’s sudden affectionate gesture, but also because of the smile that Junmyeon wore on his face — puckish, yet so sweet and infectious. Yifan caught himself smiling like an idiot, unable to react otherwise.

“Ugh, you’re so cute when you smile like that,” Junmyeon cooed, unhanding Yifan momentarily just to reach up to pinch the Chinese man’s cheeks. “The cutest.”

“I’m not  _cute_ ,” Yifan complained cutely, but not shying away from Junmyeon’s touch. “I’m supposed to be  _cool_.”

“Hmm, I don’t think so.” Junmyeon shook his head and giggled. “Just cute.”

Yifan wished he could touch Junmyeon too, but his hands were still soaked in dish soap. So he merely snorted in disagreement and leaned even further into Junmyeon’s hand.

“Not to sound desperate, but I’m waiting for you to call me a clueless fool again,” Junmyeon revealed, the corners of his lips upturning at the thought of what happened between them last night.

“You sound so desperate,” Yifan shot back right away and stuck his tongue out at Jun.

“Pfft,” said Jun dismissively as he let go of Yifan. “I’m not the one who explicitly  _demanded_  the kiss.”

“Oh? So I’m the desperate one now?”

“Your words, not mine.”

“Would you still have kissed me had I not asked you to?” Yifan asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.

“Duh,” Jun answered hastily, too hastily. “How stupid I’d look if I didn’t kiss someone that hot. And you were the only one good enough for that purpose.”

Yifan frowned and squinted at the Korean boy. “What do you mean?”

Junmyeon realized that he probably should have kept his mouth shut and not have revealed his motives so carelessly. “Nothing. Forget it.”

“No, I want an explanation.”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

“There’s a hell lot you should be explaining.”

“It’s not that deep!”

“You’re really trying to tell me that kissing me doesn't really mean that much to you?!” Genuinely disappointed, Yifan wore a scowl on his face.

“Dude, has kissing ever meant anything to you? You’ve always been the promiscuous one and it’s no secret. I didn’t think kissing  _me_  would mean anything to  _you_ ,” Junmyeon replied defensively. “You wouldn’t hesitate to make out with strangers anyway so why should I be an exception? Make it make sense.”

“Because  _you_  have always been the exception since the start!” Yifan declared, rashly yet staunchly.

“I don’t fucking get it.” Junmyeon threw his hands in the air and then took a deep breath.

“Yeah, me neither,” Yifan retorted. “I don’t get how, after 4 damn years, I can still be so,  _so_  into someone who never really valued me and just  _used_  me. You looked stupid last night and you look stupid to me right now. Perhaps you don’t care what I think, but you’re stupid. Stupid Kim Junmyeon, I fucking hate you.”

Jun winced a little. It kind of hurt to hear these things from  _Yifan_ , even though Junmyeon was really just fixated on impressing Luhan, initially. Jun was so busy feeling irritated and frustrated that he missed the part where Yifan basically came clean about his feelings.

“You clueless fool,” Jun uttered in displeasure. “You want me to explain shit? Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll tell you everything. Ever since Luhan walked into the room last night, my mind had been on him. I had a crush on him before meeting you, and back then I told him that I liked him but he rejected me. So I told myself what you told me just now: stupid Kim Junmyeon. I never wanted to feel that kind of humiliation again. I felt the need to redeem myself, to prove to him — and maybe to myself too — that I’m no longer weak for him because I can get someone much better, and that’s you. So that’s why I kissed you.”

Yifan fumed. “So everything else you said last night was just to lure me into your trap? You didn’t mean any of it?”

“I did mean it! I meant all of it. And when I kissed you, I actually changed my mind and stopped giving a damn about Luhan or the past. I just wanted  _you_.”

“That still doesn’t make you any less of a jerk. You took advantage of me! I can’t believe I ever liked you,” Yifan snapped and shook his head in disbelief.

Junmyeon goggled at him. “You what now?”

“... shut up.”

“D-did I hear that correctly? You...you li-liked me?”

Yifan merely glowered at him. “Stupid, clueless fool.”

Junmyeon on the other hand was much more pleased now. “Since when?” He pressed on. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have given you a chance.”

“YA! You two are disgusting!” Jongdae roared, and was revealed to have been standing at the door probably for some time now. “Get a room, I’m begging you. And will y’all hurry up with the dishes? My water bills won’t pay themselves.”

Yifan cursed under his breath and got back to the dishes in the sink right away, but still shot Junmyeon a dirty look. “I don’t care. You  _tricked_  me into kissing you, and you better make up for that or I’m never talking to you again. Ever!”

“Well, what can you possibly want from me?” Junmyeon asked as the guilt began to kick in.

Yifan said nothing, only continuing to glare at Jun.

“Yifan,” Junmyeon whined and wrapped his arms around Yifan again. As if in vengeance and resistance, Yifan splashed some water onto Jun’s face, but Jun did not grimace. “I won’t apologize for kissing you but I’m sorry for deceiving you and having manipulating you into serving my selfish purposes. I was stupid, OK?”

“And desperate,” Yifan added, grousing.

“Yeah, and desperate…so tell me what you want me to do so I can make it up to you.”

“Well,” replied Yifan slickly once he had an idea. “You owe me a date.”

* * *

Junmyeon was so excited by the idea of getting to go on a date with Yifan that he absolutely could not sit still. It was the only thing on his mind, and he needed to start preparing for it, which was what he was working on until he heard someone step inside his apartment, and he knew it could only be Jennie.

"Hey! Look who's finally deigned to spend time with her elder brother," said Junmyeon lightheartedly.

"What are you doing...?" She asked, with an apprehensive frown on her face. She could not believe her eyes; Junmyeon was soaked in sweat, probably brewing up an explosion in the kitchen. With much luck, whatever catastrophe he had lined up would happen  _after_  she left his place and not before that. "It smells kinda gross in here."

"I'm deboning a duck," he answered spiritedly. In this stage of his proceedings he still had some degree of hope, but it was not expected to last.

"You mean more like  _trying_  to debone a duck," she replied with much skepticism, her tone more wary than unfriendly.

"I am on my second duck," he reported, thinking everything was working out. But as soon as his younger sister had turned around to rummage in a drawer, she could hear a thick thud from the kitchen.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound good," she said to herself under her breath and shook her head. Sighing, she did not even bother to check out what happened. She did not have to see any of the mess he had made to know that it was surely a disaster, because that was reliably what happened almost every time he was on his own in the kitchen.

"Whoops..." he said tentatively. "Well, I guess it's not the end of the world," he added loudly, as if to reassure Jennie but obviously more to reassure himself. "Just a mother-ducking nightmare."

"This is why I don't normally do recipes that involve a day's worth of prep. Just why on earth would you commit yourself to such an impossible task?" She had to ask. She was not trying to sound discouraging, but she had known it for  _years_  that Junmyeon was not cut out for culinary endeavors.

"Well, Yifan's coming over for dinner tomorrow night," he explained. "Feels like the least I can do after...concealing so much from him."

"So you still haven’t told him?" She prodded, rising to her feet once she had located the accessories she was searching for.

"I thought I should," he said with a shrug. "But he was already so mad at me the other day. Wu Yifan is definitely not a morning person. Brunch dates are not a good idea."

"I bet he'll be a morning person if you bring him breakfast in bed."

"As if I hadn't been fantasizing about that since I was your age.”

"But when are you ever going to tell him how you feel about him?" She pressed on.

"I don't know. I'm goddamn scared of getting rejected. And you laughed at me when I told you about how it went down when I confessed to Luhan. So I definitely don't want tragedy to repeat itself."

"Tragic," she stated. "But didn't he literally admit that he likes you? And that he's liked you for a long time? I don't think the situation is the same with Luhan; that guy barely gave a damn about you but Yifan seems more, well, you know. Genuine. If I can trust men at all.”

"I'm scarred, Jennie. I had plenty of chances to tell Yifan, but I just, I just couldn't. Wouldn’t know how to either. How do I put it into words..." he shook his head. "This whole date is just a way to make things up to him, as per his request. You think I'd actually have the guts to ask him out?"

"So you feel bad about using him? This is a guilt duck?"

"There's remorse of course, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't been thanking the gods for making this date happen."

"Yeah well, there are hundreds of date ideas in the world and yet the apocalypse is what you've chosen. Sounds romantic."

"I am trying to be romantic. This is his favorite meal," he revealed.

"Oh," she chirped. "And you know that how?"

"A little bird told me."

"Does that little bird's name start with Jong and rhyme with Dae?"

"No, it starts with Zi and rhymes with Tao. He told me that Yifan likes boys who can cook and also included a list of what he likes to eat and what he is absolutely not into. So I — OW!!!" He yelped in pain and dropped whatever he was holding.

Jennie dashed to his side immediately and exclaimed, "are you alright?!"

"Fuck, I almost lost a finger," he squeaked. "Oh look. Is that blood? Am I bleeding?"

Jennie cursed and then grabbed the nearest clean cloth. "Put pressure on it," she instructed. "I'll go get the ointment and band-aids. Just...sit down, stay calm, and don't try anything without my supervision and approval."

* * *

"Welcome to my humble abode!" said Junmyeon joyfully and invited Yifan in. "Dinner is about to be ready; just make yourself feel at home. Oh, do you want something to drink? Just take anything from the fridge."

"Sure," Yifan replied with a smile, thrilled that this date was actually happening. But then his smile faded and he faltered. "Junmyeon...um, is something burning?"

Leaning on the counter and striking a sexy pose, Junmyeon winked flirtatiously at Yifan and said, "just my burning desire for you."

Yifan merely stared at the Korean boy for a second and blinked. "Junmyeon, the stove is on fire," he pointed out, dead serious.

Both of them cussed and rushed to try to fix this mess before the entire place burned down. Afterward, Junmyeon sighed. "Well, there goes your favorite balsamic reduction sauce."

Yifan chortled. "I...don't think that's how you make balsamic reduction sauce."

"Eh, well," Jun shrugged. "At least I tried. The duck should still be edible though!"

"Since you tried, I'll try it too. Can't let your efforts go to waste," said the Chinese boy happily, and it made Junmyeon smile with so much mirth that he was glowing.

As they ate, Yifan noticed the wound on Junmyeon's finger, but did not ask about it. He had already heard about it from a little bird, and frankly Yifan also knew that he himself was no good at cooking either. Shaking off the war flashbacks about the escaping egg, he tried to focus on the movie of Jun's choice that they were watching while eating.

"Yifan, why do you keep looking at me?" asked Jun with a giggle. "Focus on the film.”

“I can’t," Yifan drawled. "It’s so boring. More so than textbooks and essays.”

Jun grumbled. “Are you criticizing my taste in movies? I'll have you know, it's quite exquisite too—”

“I would never have a problem with the way you taste.”

That made Junmyeon shut up for a moment, but also brought a guffaw from him as he grabbed the cushion behind him. Playfully he smacked Yifan with it, but Yifan caught it and cast it aside. The only other cushion on the sofa was out of Junmyeon's reach so he was truly defenseless. Yifan was aware of this too, and intended to take full advantage of it. Grabbing Jun's wrist swiftly, he pulled the smaller boy in so abruptly and firmly that Jun found his arm draped across Yifan's shoulder. Junmyeon might or might not have let out a squeal once he became conscious of how his whole body's weight had shifted onto Yifan. Jun stopped breathing for a moment, and barely caught a glimpse of Yifan's smirk before his eyes shut. The next thing he felt was Yifan's kiss on the mouth.

Taken aback, Jun's eyelids almost threatened to flutter open but instead, he just leaned further into Yifan. He was pretty confident that he would weigh nothing to the Chinese boy, but the more Yifan felt his presence and closeness the better. Jun kissed him back with eagerness and almost impatience that rivalled Yifan's own passion — this made Yifan believe that Junmyeon must feel  _something_  for him. Probably more than just the physical attraction that had warranted all the praise that Junmyeon had been giving Yifan. And considering the fact that they had only been reunited for less than a week, surely there was no way these feelings could have developed so quickly. So perhaps it was not unreasonable for Yifan to suspect that these feelings had been around for some time? Either way, Yifan could no longer keep track of the thoughts and voices inside his head because Junmyeon's lips  _demanded_  his attention. And the Korean boy was devilish enough to be changing the angle at which their lips met, which made Yifan feel all sorts of tingles all over his body. He was not sure if Junmyeon was doing this on purpose but the shorter boy was practically grinding on Yifan now. The taller boy grunted into their kisses and fixed his massive hands on Jun's waist, and it was not long until he moved his hands to Jun's ass — after all he had had too many fantasies about Jun, and for far too long. Yifan hardly even noticed that he was practically groping Junmyeon now, if not for the sensual gasp that the younger boy just let out. It sounded so erotic that Yifan could not help but be so, so damn turned on. Junmyeon must have realized it too, playfully glancing down at where their crotches met once they paused for a moment.

"Look at what you've done," Yifan whispered raspily, clearly aroused and it would be unfair if he did not try to tease Junmyeon in return at least a little.

"I haven't done anything," Jun replied mischievously, and decided to give Yifan a peck on the nose.

"What a liar.”

"I haven't done anything," he insisted, the sweet smile on his face transforming into a sly smirk once Yifan tilted his head slightly. "Have I even touched you? Did I take my clothes off?" He challenged, observing and awaiting Yifan's reactions, not just his facial expressions but also his growing boner.

"Screw you," Yifan groused in frustration but not taking his eyes off of the insanely attractive boy on top of him.

"Yeah, you wish."

Yifan could not believe Junmyeon's attitude, nor could he believe how aroused he was right now. Huffing, he drew Junmyeon close again and started to kiss his glorious neck. If Yifan were to leave any marks there it would contrast so strongly with Junmyeon's pale skin. Yifan was finding it so difficult to hold back but already he was trying his best to kiss and nip very carefully at Jun's skin. By the time he was licking all the spots that he had planted kisses on, Junmyeon was already an incoherent mess and unable to come up with any more comebacks to titillate Yifan further. It was easy to tell from the way Jun was moaning that he desired more, but Yifan was not going to give it so soon.

"I do want to screw you," said Yifan cockily once he paused and whilst Jun was still out of breath. "What about it?" He teased and dug his nails into Jun's back just because he could. Jun whimpered, but Yifan went on smoothly. "You wanna record us fucking and send it to Luhan? So he can see how 'cool' you look now? Think it's gonna impress him?" He paused for a moment just to lick and suck on Jun's collarbone while Jun remained speechless — and helplessly turned on too. Exactly what Yifan was aiming for. "Yeah I guess you'd look pretty 'cool' spread out on the sheets for me." As if to punctuate his point he bucked his hips against Jun's, looking up to see that Jun looked way too exhilarated and aroused to be passive.

"B-b-bed..." Junmyeon pleaded, biting his lip and continuing to grind on Yifan although he was still out of breath.

"No, I don't think so," Yifan replied crisply, clearly determined to tease Junmyeon without mercy. "I think," he continued, gripping Jun's hips to move them at the pace that pleased  _him_. "I'll fuck you anywhere I want."

"You really think I'm the type to fuck on the first date?" Junmyeon scowled, only appearing to change his tone and attitude because he realized he did not want to be completely overpowered by Yifan. At least not without putting up a good fight first. "I'm not like  _you_."

"Of course not," Yifan chuckled, and it sounded  _so sexy_. For Junmyeon this excitement was so heady that he could no longer keep his hands to himself. "Our wittle bunny Junmyeonie is so pure and so—”

The unmistakable clicking sounds that announced someone unlocking the door with a house key was what made the couple freeze and, in the limited split of a second they had, spring apart. Sobs from outside could be heard before anyone came in, and indeed it was Jennie who entered, in tears and her makeup ruined.

* * *

Junmyeon and Jennie found themselves in their next awkward situation when it was time for the Kim family to have a dinner gathering — not just with their parents but even with their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Of course there had to be that aunt who just  _had_  to ask all the young ones if they were dating, who they were dating, for how long, what they looked like, if they were rich, where they were from, how they first met, and when they were going to get married.

Nobody wanted to be bombarded by these questions, not even their eldest cousin who had recently acquired a shiny diamond ring on her finger. But especially not Jennie since she was still burdened by the reason why she was crying last night — because of a bad breakup. The conversations were awkward throughout the meal, but at least the food was good.

“I should have known that tall handsome rich men can absolutely not be trusted,” said Jennie seriously to her brother on the subway as they made their way from Apgujeong back to Junmyeon’s flat near the university. “You should take caution, no matter how much confidence you put in your choice of men.”

“You’re saying I should be careful with Yifan because he might break my heart?” Jun chuckled. “I think between me and him, I appear to be the less trustworthy one, even though I’m neither tall nor rich.”

Jennie shook her head. “I’m sure he’s not mad at you anymore, if what I walked in on last night was any indication.”

“We shall never speak of it again!” Junmyeon declared. “But anyway, you don’t have to worry about your big brother.”

“What are you saying, of course I do.”

“I’m more concerned about you. Seriously, how are you holding up?”

“I feel like I’m about to burst into tears anytime,” she admitted, fanning her eyes as if it would make the tears go back. Toward the end of her sentence her voice was already shaky and about to break. “I don’t even want to go back to the student halls; it’s too easy for me to run into him or his friends. And I’m  _not_  going to cry in front of them.”

“You can just crash at my place anytime you need it,” Junmyeon offered in reassurance, and invited his sister to rest her head on his shoulder for the rest of the ride.

* * *

“So, how did your family gathering go?” Yifan asked over the phone that night.

“Predictably awkward. Although my eldest cousin just got engaged, so I’m really happy for her and I'm super excited to go to her wedding,” answered Jun. “How was your day?”

“Ah…” said Yifan playfully. “I’ve just been exchanging ideas with some of my parents’ associates but for the most part? I've been quite lonely.”

“Are you going to be lonely tomorrow?”

“Very lonely,” replied Yifan right away. “I’ve absolutely nowhere to go and absolutely no one to see.”

“Well, I’ve somewhere to be. People to see and things to do. It’s an appointment I’ve got scheduled for a while already.”

Yifan pouted even though he knew Jun would not be able to see it. “And that’s gonna take up your whole day?”

“God, no, I hope not. One minute at the dentist’s is already enough of a nightmare; I don’t want to stay there a single moment longer than necessary,” said Jun as he shuddered. “That place gives me the chills.”

Yifan burst out laughing. “Oh shit, you’re afraid of going to the dentist’s?”

“Stop laughing at me,” Junmyeon whined. “It’s not at all funny. I don't know why you and Jennie think it's hilarious.”

“Alright, not funny,” Yifan said, but still let out a chuckle. “But you’re an adult now, Junmyeon. You have to go to these appointments  _on your own_  now.”

“It’s scary and unpleasant to say the least,” Junmyeon protested. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Ah, you wouldn’t like to be alone?” Yifan smirked to himself.

“No,” said Jun resolutely. “I would not.”

“Well, in that case, text me your dentist’s clinic address and what time.”

“Why? So you can make fun of me in person?”

“So you don’t have to be on your own, Kim Junmyeon.”

“You’ll accompany me?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“I mean, if you ask me nicely, then I might consider clearing my schedule for you…”

“Alright! I’ll text it to you after I shower.” He breathed out in relief, aimlessly pacing the perimeters of his flat. Still he was getting nervous and he was not sure if it was because of the daunting appointment he had tomorrow, or if it was because he would kind of be going on a second date with Yifan.

“Shower? Without me? Damn, I feel so left out...”

Junmyeon smiled. “I’m an adult now, Yifan. I have to shower  _on my own_.”

* * *

When Junmyeon suggested that they go bowling for their third date, Yifan was thrilled to agree. He was quite confident in his bowling skills, while Junmyeon was more humble about his.

Their opinions had most undoubtedly changed once Junmyeon had had a chance to witness Yifan's polished skills in bowling. For the umpteenth time Jun was shaking his head at Yifan once again hitting none of the pins.

However Junmyeon heard a round of applause and cheers coming from another group of bowlers — thankfully it was not meant to mock Yifan, but to congratulate someone with actual skills. Curiously, Junmyeon looked in their direction and saw that half a dozen boys, probably about his own age, were clustered around a particularly tall one with huge ears. That boy also seemed to be the best at bowling as he had been consistently scoring perfect strikes. Junmyeon continued to stare, wondering how that was possible.

"Hey, Jun! I got not one but two of the pins down! I'm awesome!" Yifan exclaimed in exhilaration, pumping his fists in the air. But when he turned to look at Junmyeon like a child eagerly awaiting validation and praise, he was disappointed to find that Junmyeon was blatantly checking out some other guy. A stranger this time, and Yifan’s possessive ass just flew into a rage.

Impulsively, he grabbed Junmyeon and pushed him against the wall, which blocked them from the staff's and other bowlers' view.

“There can only be one tall guy in your life,” Yifan hissed.

“Um...okay,” Junmyeon squeaked.

“And that can only be me," added Yifan. Perhaps he wished to come off as assertive and even slightly intimidating, but to Jun he just looked soft and adorable. Jun wanted to pinch his cheeks again, but did not get the chance to, as Yifan had started to kiss him. Jun leaned into the kiss for a moment because it felt wonderful and he loved kissing Yifan, but then he broke it off and playfully hit Yifan's chest.

"Dude, you got mad at me for wanting to kiss you just to show off to someone else, but now you're doing the same thing to me?!” Junmyeon was sort of chiding him, but ended up breaking into a smile. He was sort of pleased to see Yifan get jealous, maybe because it was an indication that he cared about Jun and wanted Jun all to himself?

Yifan tilted his head and took a look at all the other bowling lanes which had become empty. "That's not true," he said to Junmyeon with a frown. "They've left the bowling center already. Too bad you don't get to check them out anymore and you're stuck with me."

"I wasn't checking anybody out..." Junmyeon giggled. "What on earth gave you that idea..."

"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you only have eyes for me."

Junmyeon laughed this time. “Do you really think you can make me fall for you again? Who do you think you are?" He paused, still immobilized between Yifan's tall body and the wall. "I mean,  _I_  also kind of think that you can definitely make me fall for you again, but…” he shrugged. “The thing is, I don’t want you to think I’m easy."

"W-what are you saying..." Yifan spluttered. "Junmyeon, I don't understand...what do you mean... 'again'?"

Jun sighed, and began to explain. "I'm not sure if you've noticed or suspected it, but I've had feelings for you since we met in freshman year. Of course, I've never told you about my feelings because in the same year, I got rejected by Luhan and since then I've been afraid of admitting my feelings to anybody. I don't want it to turn out like it did last time, so I've been scared. Maybe I seem like a coward to you because I'm afraid of this and afraid of that but...anyway. Rather than saying that I could develop feelings for you once more, I think it’s more like, it’s possible that my feelings for you have never gone away. I have  _never_  felt this deeply about anybody else. I don’t think I’m even trying to resist this feeling.”

Yifan, too, smiled once he understood what Junmyeon was trying to say. He felt that Jun's concerns and fears were perfectly valid but from what he said just now, it also proved that his feelings for Yifan were strong, and Yifan was happy about this. “Why would you try to resist me?”

“Ugh, so charming," Jun remarked. "I hate you."

As soon as he finished his sentence, he stood on his toes and kissed Yifan. A peck on the lips, short but sweet.

“And by the way,” said Jun, removing Yifan’s hand from the wall to hold it in his own instead. “I did hear you just now. And I agree, you’re awesome. You suck at bowling but I still think you’re awesome. And irresistible.”

“You really think so?” Yifan asked shyly, unable to stop himself from smiling.

“Yeah I do,” Jun replied and finally gave in to his urge to pinch Yifan’s cheeks.

* * *

Hungry, the couple left the bowling center to go get food, holding hands as they casually strolled to where there were more restaurants for them to choose from. They were only a few steps from the crossroad when Junmyeon was greeted by a familiar figure. The middle-aged woman raised her voice and very affectionately and excitedly called Junmyeon’s name.

“That's the aunt I told you about,” Junmyeon whispered to Yifan before she got closer. She ripped off her sunglasses and flung her arms around her nephew.

“Junmyeonie! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever! Ah, I wasn't even able to properly catch up with you and your sister last week. You two have grown up so much. I have so much to ask you and Jennie. When are you two going to come to my new place for dinner? I can't wait to cook for you two an— oh my goodness! Who is this gorgeous young man you're with? Junmyeonie! Don't tell me— oh gosh, is that your  _boyfriend_? Ah! He's so tall and handsome. Junmyeonie, why didn't you tell me you've a boyfriend now? I'm so happy for you. I was getting worried that you'd be lonely after your breakup and I was actually going to introduce this guy to you; you know I'm going to these cooking classes right?”

“Yes, I definitely saw your photos on Facebook. You look great,” Junmyeon answered, keeping a polite smile on his face.

“Good! I'm actually on my way back home from that class and oh, the instructor is a very handsome boy your age,” she continued effusively, whipping out a flyer from her handbag. Unfolding it, she handed it to Junmyeon. “Good-looking, right? But it looks like you're doing fine and you don't need me to be your matchmaker; I guess maybe he’s more of Jennie’s type? Anyway, Junmyeonie, you and your boyfriend look perfect together! When are you two going to get married?”

Junmyeon totally saw this coming but still blushed and wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. He exchanged awkward glances with Yifan and both of them just chuckled.

Luckily, it was the ever-reliable public transport that came to his rescue. “Oh no, is that the time?!” His aunt exclaimed. “My bus...I'm going to miss my bus. Junmyeonie, just text me, alright? And tell your sister to message me too. I gotta go! You take care!”

With that, she sprinted full steam ahead toward the bus stop with all the determination she had. Promptly, Junmyeon grasped Yifan’s hand even more tightly and they crossed the road together. Both of them burst out laughing afterward; it was embarrassing to have to deal with running into such an enthusiastic and energetic relative with all the curiosity in the world. But they were both so elated, and Yifan spoke first.

“So your aunt thinks we’re a couple now,” he stated as they slowly made their way to their destination. “But are we?”

“Aren’t we? Don’t you think we should give this a chance?” Junmyeon asked. “I think we owe it to ourselves to try.”

“Our freshmen selves, you mean?”

“Not just that, but also who we are now,” he answered. “We had so many doubts back then. We didn’t have much hope that we could be good together. We didn’t have the right mindset so we weren’t able to go into a relationship. But our mentalities are different now, and we don’t feel the need to hide our feelings from each other, right? We could be good for each other.”

“You have a point,” Yifan nodded in agreement. “And you know, the other day when we all went to Jongdae’s place for brunch and before you got here, he said something to me about relationships and whatnot.”

“And what advice has the wise master offered to us clueless fools?”

“Well, I wasn’t listening very attentively.”

Junmyeon snorted. “Right, I should’ve known better than to rely on you to take notes.”

“I was too busy thinking about the owner of the coat I had mistakenly brought home with me the other night,” Yifan admitted sheepishly.

“So you’re saying it’s because your mind was entirely filled with thoughts of  _me_  that you weren’t able to pay attention to what Jongdae was saying,” replied Jun playfully.

“I didn’t even know it was you at the time,” Yifan pointed out slyly and pulled Jun closer to himself, not letting go of his hand. “But from what I recall, he said something along the lines of...like, even though he knew that he was never looking for long term relationships, he talked about how important it was for people in any sort of relationship to be open to communicating with each other. If they can’t do that, then no matter how strong or lasting their feelings are, it won’t work. It’s normal to be anxious or fearful of the repercussions — I’m sure that’s something we understand all too well. But you know, he got me thinking about you and me. If we are going to be in a relationship, I want you to know that you can always tell me how you feel and what you think. Because I care about you and I want us to be happier than we have ever been.”

Junmyeon had stars in his eyes when he looked up at Yifan. “I don’t think you even realize how happy I am that you have been thinking about this seriously. But what I want to say is, you can also do the same with me — I want you to be comfortable with opening up to me. I think we’ve always kept our distance from each other in our own ways, but now we should work on growing closer to each other.”

“Well, I can think of many ways we can do that, and some of these interest me more than others,” said Yifan, who shot the smaller boy a flirtatious wink.

Junmyeon on the other hand feigned innocence. “You’re right! I reckon we can do that by signing up for cooking classes together,” he suggested, stuffing the flyer into Yifan’s free hand. “Hopefully, I won’t be end up injuring myself or setting anything on fire.”

Yifan smiled. “I wouldn’t say no to spending more time with you. We can definitely join these classes together.”

“Cool!” Junmyeon chirped excitedly. “You know, I constantly wonder what it’d be like if we were already dating back in uni.”

“Well,” Yifan replied. “I think we would definitely be having picnic dates on the glade.”

“We can still do that,” said Jun with a mirthful smile that reached his eyes.

“So your aunt is right? I’m your boyfriend?” Yifan prodded, bending down a little to whisper in Jun’s ear mischievously. “Do you wanna be my boyfriend too?” Very sneakily, he dipped to kiss Jun’s neck and then carried on walking as if nothing had happened.

“Ya! Kiss me properly!” Jun demanded, quickly compelling himself to walk faster to catch up with the man whose legs just seemed to go on forever.

“We both know that if I do that, you’ll just want to go back to my place, and we won’t be getting any food,” Yifan stated, but was far from complaining.

“We can just get something delivered,” Jun insisted, pouting at his boyfriend.

Yifan sighed. “I can’t resist you if you’re going to be like this.”

“Why would you try to resist me?” Junmyeon shot back singsong.

“You’re right; why would I try to resist my handsome boyfriend when I can have him all to myself tonight?” Yifan grinned. “Let's go.”

Jun nodded lovingly and curled his fingers around his boyfriend’s. They did their waiting, 4 years of it. And now, after a series of fortunate and unfortunate events, they could finally be together.

**Author's Note:**

> Very excited to finally get to post my first ever krisho fic! I've had many plot ideas but this was the one I chose to pursue. Hope you guys liked it and don't forget to leave comments and kudos too uwu~


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